Why There Won’t Be an ‘Awards Gala’ at the 2020 NYIOOC
It has been an expensive party paid for by 1,000 producers, but enjoyed by very few of them.
Each year after the judging is completed at the NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, one of the best parts of my job has been to recognize, one by one, the dedicated producers who managed to craft the year’s best olive oils.
Everyone likes a great party, but there are better ways to recognize everyone who produced one of the world’s best olive oils -- whether they can make it to New York or not.
So it might come as a surprise that, for the 8th edition of the NYIOOC, I have decided to scrap what some have referred to as the “Olive Oil Oscars.” It was a decision, however, based on the fundamental mission of the competition.
Participating in the NYIOOC is costly for producers, as is sending samples from all parts of the world. Traveling to New York to accept a prize is even more so, which explains why less than ten percent of the producers who enter their brands in the competition have attended the gala.
As much as I have enjoyed the annual reunion in New York, I found that I was seeing the same faces year after year.
It was an expensive party paid for by 1,000 producers but enjoyed by very few of them.
Instead, for 2020, we have been investing in new ways to celebrate and recognize every award winner and raise awareness of the competition results around the world.
This year, the results of the judging will be revealed in real-time, allowing producers and the public to follow and share these remarkable achievements as they unfold.
Olive Oil Times writers will be fanning out in every region to report on winning producers in breaking-news articles optimized for sharing and syndication.
We’re investing in new features on the Best Olive Oils Index, including the new retail locator that will help everyone find an award-winning oil nearby.
And we’re expanding the Best Olive Oils Marketplace to Canada and Europe to help producers and their distributors get their high-quality olive oils into even more of the kitchens where they deserve to be.
The NYIOOC team never stops developing new ways to celebrate and recognize award-winning producers. Sometimes that means letting go of the old ways.
Everyone likes a good party, but we want to thank everyone who produced the year’s best olive oils — whether they can make it to New York or not.
This year, for NYIOOC 2020, we’re going to do just that.